Batting practice apparatus with ground engaging and inclining support



pt. 12, 19 E. w. BRANDLEY BATTING PRACTICE APPARATUS WITH GROUND ENGAGING AND INCLINING SUPPORT Flled March 25, 1964 INVENTOR.

ELDEN W. BRANDLEY AT TORNEYS United States Patent 3,341,200 BATTING PRACTICE APPARATUS WITH GROUND ENGAGING AND INCLINING SUPPORT Elden W. Brandley, RR. 3, Richmond Ind. 47374 Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,687 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-26) This invention relates to baseball exercising devices, and in particular is directed to a batting practice apparatus.

An object of this invention is to provide for assistance towards the improvement of coordination of muscles, particularly inyoungsters. Another object of this invention is to teach the exercising person the proper knowl edge concerning stance, address, and other physical skills necessary to the development of a baseball hitter.

Another object of this invention is to provide the advantage of the batted ball returning to its static point of origin so that the exercising person may swat the ball again from his same position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a simply constructed, highly efficient, portable, lightweight, durable device, with a minimum of working parts, and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of this invention is to provide an easy knockdown and readily assembled device which does not permanently damage or impair the ground or grass on which it may be used.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus readily adaptable to use indoors in the event that inclement weather prevents proper use of same outdoors.

These and other objects of the invention will be more apparent to one skilled in the art after reading the.description hereinafter and appended claims thereto, together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device in use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of a part of the device;

FIG. 3 is a true plan view of another device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan View, partly in section, of one end portion of the device shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a coupling means used in the device;

FIG. 6 is a view taken on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another embodiment incorporating my invention. I

Referring now to the drawing which illustrates the preferred embodiments of my invention, and in which reference characters correspond to like characters in the following description, FIG. 1 illustrates my baseball batting practice apparatus 10 in an assembled status, ready for use. The device 10 comprises an elongated rigid standard or post 11 about which a revolvable baseball-sized member 12 and a swingable rotatable resilient arm 13 are mounted. One end 14 of arm 13 is connected to standard 11 (FIG. 3) and its other end 15 is connected to ball 12 (FIG. 4). A base means 16 is mounted on standard 11 adjacent ground level to provide for additional support and for support when the standard is in an inclined operational position.

Arm 13 is mounted to post 11 by means of a coupling 18 encircling the post. Coupling 18 comprises a cylindrical tube or collar 19 (FIG. 2) with a radially extending flange 20 integrally mounted to the cylindrical wall of tube or collar 19. The flange 20 is provided with an aperture 22. The aperture 22 is preferably located midlength in the flange 20. Coupling 18 is slidably and freely mounted to post 11 by slipping same over such post.

End 14 of arm 13 is provided with threads behind which arm 13 is swaged as at 25 in FIG. 3. End 14 is portion of the 3,341,288 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 "ice inserted through the aperture 22 (FIG. 2) on the flange 20 of coupling 18 supported on standard 11, so that after swage 25 of arm 13 engages flange 20, a nut 26 is threaded to end 14 projecting through such flange to securely fasten arm 13 to coupling 18.

To support and maintain coupling 18 at a certain height on and along post 11, a clip 30 is provided (FIGS. 2, 7). Clip pin 30 is adapted to be inserted through one of a plurality of opposed pairs of apertures 31 in post 11. A snap rib 32 may be provided in the length of clip pin 30 to provide for its retention in post 11.

Baseball-sized element or ball 12 is securely fastened to the other end 15 of arm 13 by means of a plug 35 having an internally threaded bore 36 screwed to threaded end 15. Behind threaded end 15, arm 13 is swaged as at 37 in FIG. 4, to provide for the seating of a spherical metal cup 40 in which ball 12 is disposed.

The ball 12 may be of any suitable material and perferably has a strong durable cover of rubber or the like. The above described mounting of ball 12 in cup 40 provides for facile replacement in the event the ball Wears out or is damaged.

Arm 13 is formed from a resilient spring metal rod of strong lightweight stock such as a high carbon treated metal which contains the springiness or resiliency required. The metal rod forming arm 13 is bowed, arched, or vaulted in one plane, as shown in FIG. 3, to provide when mounted to post 11 for clearance between the free end of a swinging bat 50 and that portion of arm 13 to which bat 50 is directed towards in the follow-through singing motion of baseball hitter 51 as he swats ball 12. Whether the ball is swung levelly towards ball 12, above or below the height at which ball 12 is held, or whether the batters swing is an upper cut or a downward cut at ball 12, impact between ball 12 and 'bat 50 will cause arm 13 to instantaneously swing with its coupling 18.

Supporting means 16 is provided on device 10 at ground level and comprises a sleeve 55 having a bore frictionally slidable upon post 11. A pair of transversely disposed diverging rigid legs 58 is mounted on sleeve 55 securely, such as by welding (FIG. 6). Legs 58 extend laterally away from sleeve 55 and angularly away from each other. Means such as a downwardly extending tine 59 integrally formed on each of legs 58 provides a firm grip with the ground or with other firm foundation. The pair of tines 59 prevents post 11 from shifting from its inclined position in its ground or base socket. The sleeve 55 is mounted on the legs 58 at an acute angle to theplane thereof so that the post 11 is supported in an inclined position (FIGS. 5, 6), or in other words, legs 58 are disposed in a plane acute to the axis of standard 11.

In useof my device, portion 60 (FIG. 1) of post 11 is driven firmly into the earth at an acute angle thereto. Tines 59 may be foot pressed into the ground.

When the ball is batted, the ball revolves around post 11 by means of coupling 18 and the freely rotatable arm 13 mounted thereto. The momentum imparted to ball 12 'by bat 50 carries same in a circular orbit through one or more revolutions about inclined post 11, returning to a static condition at its original point as the result of frictional and gravitational effects upon coupling 18 and upon arm 13 and ball 12, respectively. Thus, batter 51 is prepared to swat away in repetitious manner after each such instance without the necessity of moving from his position, and with each swing he may adjust his stance and level of swing, and use his various physical attributes and abilities to bat ball 12 from different angles of swatting, so that coordination of his muscles is developed harmoniously for the purpose of batting a baseball well.

The advantage of the arch or vaulted profile of arm 13 is apparent as explained above, and irrespective of the angle the plane of arm 13 makes with the axis of post 11,

bat 50 does not contact arm 13. The plane of arm 13, as shown in FIG. 3, is preferably disposed parallel to the earth or the supporting surface when in static condition. The center of revolution of ball 12 rotating in the plane of arm 13, however, may be above or below the elevation of the ball depending upon the exercisers preference.

The construction of my invention incorporates the additional advantage of reversing coupling 18 together with the arm 13 so that ball 12 may be swatted in a counterclockwise manner consistent with the swing of a lefthanded batter. As viewed in the drawing, arm 13 swings away from a hit ball by a right-handed hitter.

For use in indoor practice (FIG. 8), I have provided a base means 65 for supporting a standard 11, comprising baseboard 66 firmly rooted and/or secured to a fioor 67 by means of a plurality of floor bolts 68 screwed through board 66. A socket 69 of suitable depth to support post 11 is integrally cast with base means 65 in the center thereof. Socket 69 is cast in non-vertical alignment with base means 65 whereby a non-vertical standard 11 is readily disposed for operational use. Such inclination provides for a static point of origin of ball 12 and guarantees its return to such point in the same manner as the previously described embodiment does.

Pursuant to the requirements of the patent statutes, the principle of this invention has been explained and exemplified in a manner so that it can be readily practiced by those skilled in the art to which it pertains, such exemplification including what is presently considered to represent the best embodiment of the invention. However, it should be clearly understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and exemplified herein, by those skilled in the art and having the benefit of this disclosure.

Therefore, what is claimed as being patentably novel 1. A baseball batting practice apparatus for the purpose of acquiring coordination of muscles by a baseball player comprising in combination,

an elongated standard,

means for supporting said standard in an inclined position on a ground-type supporting surface mounted about said standard,

a baseball element, and

a resilient arm freely rotatably coupled to said standard,

said baseball element secured to the end of said arm opposite the coupling of said arm to said standard, said supporting means comprising a cylindrical hollow sleeve slideable and selectively placed on said standard and having a pair of transversely disposed diverging legs, said legs disposed in a plane acute to the axis of said standard when said supporting means is mounted thereon, and

tines projecting from said legs for the purpose of grasping ground points to prevent shifting of said standard from its inclined position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including means for supporting said resilient arm at alternate heights along the length of said standard.

3. An improved baseball batting practice apparatus comprising in combination,

an elongated straight rigid standard,

a resilient arm having ends,

ball means securely fixed to a free end of said arm,

a collar rotatably mounted about said standard,

means for fixedly coupling the other end of said arm to said collar, said arm rotatable with said collar about said standard,

means for supporting said collar at alternate heights of said standard,

a slideable and selectively placed sleeve rotatably mounted on said standard below said collar, and

at least two radially projecting legs and a tine on each thereof secured to said sleeve for grasping ground points to prevent shifting of said standard, said legs secured to said sleeve at an acute angle to the plane containing the axis of said standard thereby supporting said standard in an inclined position,

whereby said ball means can be repetitiously swatted about said standard, returning to its original point after each instance of swatting.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner.

DELBERT B. LOWE, ANTON O. OECHSLE,

Examiners. M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A BASEBALL BATTING PRACTICE APPARATUS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACQUIRING COORDINATION OF MUSCLES BY A BASEBALL PLAYER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, AN ELONGATED STANDARD, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID STANDARD IN AN INCLINED POSITION ON A GROUND-TYPE SUPPORTING SURFACE MOUNTED ABOUT SAID STANDARD, A BASEBALL ELEMENT, AND A RESILIENT ARM FREELY ROTATABLY COUPLED TO SAID STADARDARD, SAID BASEBALL ELEMENT SECURED TO THE END OF SAID ARM OPPOSITE THE COUPLING OF SAID ARM TO SAID STANDARD, SAID SUPPORTING MEANS COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW SLEEVE SLIDABLE AND SELECTIVELY PLACED ON SAID STANDARD AND HAVING A PAIR OF TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED DIVERGING LEGS, SAID LEGS DISPOSED IN A PLANE ACUTE TO THE AXIS OF SAID STANDARD WHEN SAID SUPPORTING MEANS IS MOUNTED THEREON, AND TINES PROJECTING FROM SAID LEGS FOR THE PURPOSE OF GRASPING GROUND POINTS TO PREVENT SHIFTING OF SAID STANDARD FROM ITS INCLINED POSITION. 